General Appearance

The Boykin Spaniel is medium in size, with emphasis placed on his hunting abilities, characterized by flushing and retrieving, with moderate speed and agility. His pendulous ears, intelligent expression, sturdy build and friendly wagging tail proclaim him part of the spaniel family.

Head

The head must be in proportion with the size of the dog. The Boykin's expression is alert, self-confident, attractive and intelligent. His eyes are varying shades of brown, set well apart, medium size and oval shaped, trusting, and should not be protruding or bulging. The Boykin Spaniel's ears are set slightly above or even with the line of the eye. The leather of the ear is thin and when pulled forward should almost reach the tip of the nose. The ears hang close to the cheeks and are flat. The skull is medium length fairly broad, flat on top, slightly rounded at the sides and back.

Body

The neck is moderately long, muscular, slightly arched at the crest and gradually blends into sloping shoulders. The back is straight, strong and essentially level. Loins are short, strong with a slight tuck up. His body is sturdily constructed but not too compact. The shoulders of the Boykin Spaniel are sloping. The brisket is well developed but not barreled, extending to the elbow and not too broad or narrow as to interfere with movement. The croup slopes gently to the set of the tail, and the tail-set follows the natural line of the croup. Tail is docked to a length of 3 to 5 inches when fully mature. The tail's carriage should be carried horizontally or slightly elevated and displays a characteristic lively, merry action, particularly when the dog is on game.

Forequarters

The Boykin Spaniel's shoulders are sloping, clean and muscular. His legs medium in length, straight and well boned but not too short as to handicap for field work or so heavy as too appear clumsy. The pasterns strong with no suggestions of weakness. The toes closely grouped, webbed and well padded. The feet are round, compact, well-arched, of medium size with thick pads. Dewclaws should be removed.

Coat

The Boykin Spaniel has both an undercoat and an outer coat. The coat can range from flat to slightly wavy, with medium length, on the outer coat. The undercoat is short and dense. The ears, chest, legs and belly are equipped with light fringe or feathering. His coat may be trimmed to have a well groomed appearance and to enhance the dog's natural lines. It is legitimate to trim about the head, throat, ears and feet to give a smart, functional appearance. A rough, curly or harsh coat or no undercoat is to be penalized.

Hindquarters

The Boykin Spaniel has well developed hips and thighs with the whole rear assembly showing strength and drive. The hock joint slightly rounded, should not be small or sharp in contour, moderately angulated. Legs from hock joint to foot pad moderate in length, strong and straight with good bone structure. His hocks are parallel.